Wood Dale Firefighter Michael Thomson, of Palatine, was out with a few co-workers during their lunch break when he decided to try his luck and buy a Halloween Millionaire Raffle ticket, according to a press release.
Man, was he lucky!
"We each bought a ticket. I never thought I would be the lucky one!" said Thomson when he presented his $1 million winning ticket at the Illinois Lottery Prize Center in Des Plaines.
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Thomson was at the firehouse when he discovered his win. One of his co-workers told him someone had won $1 million with a Halloween Raffle ticket purchased at WD Tobacco in Wood Dale, the same store where they bought their tickets.
Thomson called his girlfriend and asked her to verify the winning numbers on the Lottery’s website, illinoislottery.com.
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"When she read the winning numbers to me I couldn’t stop staring at my ticket. I couldn’t believe it!"
The news of Thomson's win spread like fire and the cheers could almost be heard down the block from the firehouse. "Everyone was so happy for me," he said.
The lucky Palatine resident said he wasn’t the only one who would enjoy this special Halloween treat.
"I am buying a new house with a huge backyard for Ariel—my 100 pound dog. We currently live in a condo and she is still growing." Ariel is an English Mastiff.
Plans for the windfall also include investing.
Submitted by the Illinois Lottery
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